Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller. Photo courtesy of Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com
The Iowa Hawkeyes scored three runs in the top of the second inning and made them hold up in a 3-2 victory at Penn State to open a three game Big Ten series.
Iowa’s win combined with Michigan’s 1-0 win over Illinois means the Hawkeyes will lock up a spot in the conference tournament with a split of this afternoon’s doubleheader against the Nittany Lions.
“It was a big one”, said Iowa coach Rick Heller. “It was a great baseball game. Penn State played hard and we played hard and it was just a battle and we were fortunate to win it.”
The victory extends the Hawkeyes’ winning streak to a season-long four games, moves the team to a season-best two games over .500 (26-24), and evens the team’s league record at 11-11.